As the holidays approach it’s time to thank our referral sources for their trust in our business. This practical guide breaks down the complexities of gifting, providing insights on budget, recipient selection, and gift choices. Learn how to express your gratitude effectively and strengthen your referral network.

Who to Reward

To determine who to thank you need an accurate list of your largest referral sources. Most clinic management software systems have a referral tracking feature that can provide you this information. This is also a great reason to confirm the referral source with your clients at appointments throughout the year so that this information is accurate when you need it.

At a minimum, your top 10 referring physicians should be thanked. In addition, we recommend you look at other referral sources, including other allied health professionals and even customers who have referred friends and family. Here is a good guide for who to thank:

• Top 10 referring physicians
• Top 3 referring ENT specialists
• Top 3 referring allied healthcare professionals
• Patients who have made a habit of referring to you

A Bribe Versus a Gift

It is important to be mindful of tangible reward guidelines. These guidelines restrict any form of financial gain in exchange for referrals, since this is unethical. For example, buying gifts for a physician who has yet to refer patients to you could be seen as a bribe and not a thank-you. Some professions and regions have set monetary limits, however typically a gift of a low amount that is not linked to any agreement or direct referral is acceptable. For example, the Anti-Kickback Statue allows gifts of up to $300 that are not directly related to referrals.

How Much to Spend

When it comes to how much to spend, our experience says less is more. You want to give a sincere thank you that is simple and does not come off as over-the-top or make anyone uncomfortable. There are more authentic ways to stand out than buying lavish gifts, that don’t risk harming your reputation or making anyone uncomfortable.

Ways to Stand Out

A sincere authentic gift is a great opportunity to strengthen your relationship and stand out. Here are a few ways to make your thank-you stand out:  

1. Get personal – tell them how much you appreciate them with a handwritten card and always make sure to deliver thank-you goodies personally rather than sending a delivery person.
2. Inform of updates or new services – remember this entire relationship is based on you filling a professional need for their patient in an ethical way. Don’t forget that and use this communication as an opportunity to include any updates on new equipment, programs, resources, or other new services you are offering.
3. Request feedback – including a feedback form is a great way to learn about what your top referrers need, and the timing works well for next year’s business plan!

The Actual Gift

Buying a stand-out gift for someone you might not have even met is no easy task. We surveyed physicians and asked for feedback on a list of gifts and here were the most liked options:

1. Fruit Basket – replace the classic chocolate gift with a healthy alternative, if you have a bigger budget consider a fruit of the month club.
2. Pocket Talker – This is a great gift for referring physicians. Each time they use it in their office they will remember how helpful you are. Don’t forget to put your clinic’s brand or sticker on it!
3. Coffee/Tea Mug – A good quality travel mug, non-labelled, along the lines of a YETI, is always a useful and valued gift.
4. A festive candle – high quality candles are a great gift for a busy health care provider but stay away from anything with too strong of a scent and stick with fresh and relaxing.
5. Homemade treats – If this is in your wheelhouse it is a cost effective and incredibly thoughtful way to say thank you!
6. Food for their office staff – administrative staff play a large role in getting referrals to your office as well as supporting your referral sources. Treats and food for them came up repeatedly as a favourite holiday thank you.

Note: As easy and tempting as these are, we would suggest avoiding general gift cards as they too closely resemble a cash reward and can risk appearing like a financial reward and not a thank-you.

In terms of thanking a client that has refers to you often here are two options:

1. Discount – if you know that their next set of hearing aids are coming up soon or they need a set for a family member, a discount off that future set can be a wonderful and useful thank-you.
2. Gift card – whereas for a referral source this is not appropriate, for a client who has referred to you this is okay; a coffee shop gift card with a small denomination is a great thank-you here.

When to Give

Don’t wait until the week of Christmas to leave your gift with your referral source. Any time after December 1st is the perfect time to deliver your gift up until the week prior to Christmas, you just want to catch the referral source before they might leave on a winter vacation.